History Of Shooting Stars Sports Club

History Of Shooting Stars Sports Club

Shooting Stars Football club was formed in 1963 by the then Western Nigeria Development Corporation (WNDC) with their headquarter at the location of the present ministry of education secretariat Ibadan. The football club was initially known as Western Region Production Development Board (WRPDB).

In fact, a subsidiary of the corporation Pepsi Cola football club was merged with the team which then metamorphosed into WNDC shooting stars, then Industrial Investment and Credit Corporation) IICC and now 3SC i.e Shooting Stars Sports Club.

Pioneer players at the club include L.A Alade, Olu Onagoruwa, Eddy Ayoola, Niyi Omowa and Jide Johnson the captain of the club and Nigeria Green Eagles who added the shooting stars to the name.

Sam Ojebode

The club was foundation member of the Nigerian Premier League in 1972 and had the largest following in the country. This has no doubt classed it among the traditional sides in the League which includes Rangers FC, Stores FC of Lagos, Mighty jets of Jos, and Bendel Insurance of Benin. The latter three clubs are now defunct.

They won the Challenge Cup on 23rd October 1971 with Joseph Ladipo (Popularly known as Jossy Lad) as captain by beating Rangers FC of Enugu by two goals to one. The goals were scored by Jimoh Oyelami and Niyi Akande, with their then goalkeeper Amusa Adisa heroically saving a late spot kick from the boots of Godwin Achebe.

Prince Zion Ogunfeyinmi

The club held sway and dominated the footballing scene in the 70’s and 80’s as they won a host of continental trophies.

They were the African cup winners in 1976 after defeating Jones Kalala of Cameroon by Four goals to One on aggregate. This was the first international trophy to be won by any club in Nigeria. More success followed on the continent as they won the CAF cup by defeating Nakivbo of Uganda Three Nil in Ibadan after a goalless draw in Uganda

The crème de la crème played for the club in its heydays. The club has full Green Eagles internationals within its ranks. These players include Amusa Adisa, Prince Zion Ogunfeyinmi, and Best Ogedengbe who were all goal keepers. Other notable players include Rasheed Yekini, Muda Lawal, Eddy Ayoola, and Segun Odegbami who was voted African second best player in 1977 after Lakdan Beloumi of Algeria.

Segun Odegbami

Notable coaches that have been at the club includes Allan Hawkes (Briton), Siegfried Banner (German), Festus Onigbinde, Jossy Lad, Niyi Akande amongst others.

Honours won by the club are the Nigerian Premier League in 1976,1980, 1983, 1995 and 1996.

The also won the FA cup in 1971 (as WNDC), 1977, 1979 (as IICC) and 1995 (as 3SC)

They were CAF cup champions in 1982 and were runners up in 1984 and 1996. They also had the pedigree of advancing into the latter stages while representing Nigeria on the continent.

Glory days has since gone by as the club no longer features on the continental stage, which is a byproduct of their poor league form. Their highest position they attained on the league table in recent years was a fifth place finish in the 2004/2005 Nigerian League season but got relegated in 2006 and later got promoted in 2009.

The club has since flirted between the first and second tier of Nigerian Football. They recently dropped from the rank of the elites in the Nigerian Professional Football League into the Nigerian National League where they would be playing come next season.